A man found guilty of stunt driving, cocaine possession and failing to appear in court has been handed a 50 day prison sentence.

51 year old Attila Vancsody’s case was heard Tuesday in front of Judge JD Evans in Bracebridge.

Court heard that on September 27th at 7:15pm, an OPP officer clocked the car Vancsody was driving on Highway 11 NB at 150km in a 100km/h zone.

He was stopped just south of Highway 118 East and was the sole occupant in the vehicle.

Crown Attorney Peter Heath said Vancsody was charged with stunt driving, admitting to the officer he had been in a rush.

Heath said he was placed under arrest and that a subsequent search of the vehicle’s trunk produced a white-blue powder and two spoons.

Heath said Vancsody told the officer the substance was ‘hydromorph’ but it turned out to be 1 gram of cocaine and he was charged with possession of it.

Vancsody was later also charged with two counts of failing to attend court – one for a missed court appearance on November 24th 2015 and another missed court date, February 9th 2016.

By Tuesday of this week, Vancsody had been in custody for 21 days.

In sentencing, Judge Evans ruled that Vancsody must pay a $500 fine on the stunt driving charge and a $200 fine for possession of cocaine.

He will also serve a further 30 days in custody on the first fail to appear in court charge. Evans sentenced him to time served (which amounts in this case to 32 days enhanced credit in the court’s eyes) plus a further 20 days behind bars for the second fail to appear.

Defence lawyer Jay Herbert indicated his client could have brought the case to trial, as the car he was stopped in wasn’t his. Instead, he offered guilty pleas at the first available opportunity, something the court tends to look favourably upon.

Vancsody, who is married and has five children, has no prior criminal record.

He has lived in Muskoka for the last 20 years, said Herbert, who added that he will likely now face difficulties at the border while trying to visit Costa Rica where his wife lives, due to the cocaine possession conviction.